The provided text discusses facility fees charged by hospitals for outpatient care. Here’s a breakdown of what it says about these fees:
What are Facility Fees?
They are charges added too bills for routine care received in doctors’ offices that are classified as hospital outpatient departments.
These departments must adhere to stricter quality and safety standards than non-accredited physician practices.
The fees are intended to reflect the meaningful added costs hospitals incur in complying with these standards.
Why are they Controversial?
Unexpected Costs for Patients: Many patients are surprised by these fees, especially when they are for simple, routine care. They don’t expect to pay high bills for such services. financial Burden: For some patients, these fees represent a significant financial burden that they cannot afford.
Lack of Perceived difference in Care: Several patients mentioned they didn’t notice any difference in the quality of care they received after the fees were implemented.
Disagreement Between Stakeholders: Patient advocates and insurance companies generally oppose these fees,arguing that hospitals inflate costs. The hospital industry, however, defends them as necessary to fund core services like emergency departments.
How Hospitals (like Cleveland Clinic) Implement them:
Cleveland Clinic states they charge facility fees in doctors’ offices classified as hospital outpatient departments. They claim to inform patients by sending out letters (over 250,000 to Florida patients) and posting signs at their offices.
Medicare patients receive an additional notice at check-in.
The letters inform patients they “may see a change from how you were billed in the past” but don’t explicitly state that out-of-pocket costs may increase. many patients interviewed did not recall receiving these letters.
The health system did not disclose how they determine the price of a facility fee,stating it varies by facility and service.
Examples from the Text:
Billie Paukune Boorman: Charged a $174 facility fee for her daughter’s ear, nose, and throat appointment.
* Irene Rauch: Charged a $95 facility fee for a neurosurgeon appointment, whereas a similar appointment three months prior only cost a $15 co-pay.
In essence, the article highlights the growing issue of unexpected facility fees in outpatient care, the financial strain they place on patients, and the ongoing debate between healthcare providers, insurers, and patient advocates regarding their necessity and transparency.
